Improvement in car-couplings



CHARLES C. GARRETT, OF CALVERT, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND LOUIS M. OPENHEIMER, OF SAME PLACE.

lMPROVEMENT' IN CAR=COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 161,405, dated March 30, 1875; application filed January 4, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l,-GHAnLEs O. GARRETT, of Calvert, in the county of Robertson and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Car-Coupling, of which the following is a specification:

Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section of a draw-head, to which my improved coupling has been applied, taken through the line 00 m, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a top view of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The invention will first be fully described, and then pointed out in the claims.

A represents the draw-head, which is attached to the car in the usual way, and the mouth of which is made flaring or hoppershaped, to guide the link B, of the adjacent car, into place.

C are two pins or bars, which pass down through two vertical holes in the side parts of the draw-head A. The holes through the draw-head A are countersunk or enlarged from their lower ends nearly to their upper ends to receive the nuts or washers 0 attached to the lower ends of said bars C, so that they may be raised in, but cannot be lifted out of, the said holes. To the upper parts of the bars C are attached washers 0 which, when the said bars are lowered, cover the upper ends of the holes, and keep out rain and snow, so that the bars cannot become frozen fast. To the upper ends of the two bars 0 are pivoted the ends of a crossbar, D, to the middle part of which is rigidly attached, or upon itis formed, a pin, E. The pin E projects to the rearward, and is then bent downward at right angles, and passes through a short slot in the draw-head A, which slot is so formed that the pin E, when in a vertical position, may be in the forward end of said slot, and may thus be firmlysupported against the draft-strain.

F is a spring, which is placed in the cavity of the draw-head A, and the inner end of which is secured to said drawhead. The spring F projects forward at such a distance above the lower side of the cavity of the draw-head A as to receive the link B beneath it. The forward end of the spring F is curved upward,"to serve as a guide to direct the end of the entering-link B into proper position. The spring F holds the link B in a horizontal position, so that it may enter the cavity of the adjacent draw-head when the cars are run together. The spring F also holds the link B down upon the bottom of the cavity of the draw-head, so that the draft-strain upon the pin E may be close to its point of support, and thus less liable to break it than if it came upon its unsupported middle part.

To the upper side of the middle part of the crossbar D is attached a ring, at, WlllCh is designed toreceive the lower end of a rod, to extend up to the top of the car, so that the brakeman can operate the coupl ng to uncouple the cars, without descendlng from said top.

With this construction, when the cars are run together, the end of the entering link pushes back the lower end of the pin E, and passes it, which allows the pin to swing forward into the link B, to couple the cars. The bars C, cross-bar D, and pin E, are raised by means of the ring at, or of the rod attached to said ring, sufficiently to allow the link to be withdrawn.

To adjust the coupling, so that cars can be run together without'coupling, the bars C, cross-bar D, and pin E, are raised sufficiently to raise the pin E out of the slot 111 the draw-head A. The lower end of the pin E is then swung out, and the bars C D are lowered, leaving the end of the pin E resting upon the top of the draw-head A.

Vhen the coupling is to be again used the bars C, bar D, and pin E, are raised sufficiently to allow the lower end of the pin E to swing into the slot of the draw-head A, and the said bars and pin are then lowered, and are in position to couple the cars as they are run together.

Having thus described myinvention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent I 1. The sliding rods C C, in combination with draw-head A and angle-pin E, on shaft D, to avoid the coupling of two cars that may accidentally come in contact, as set forth.

2. The cross-bar rods C C, having nuts 0 0 combined with tapering holes of drawhead, as shown and described.

CHARLES C. GARRETT.

Witnesses J L. BROWNING, OHAs. A. GARRETT. v 

